DescentBB

On the forum's private messages thing, there is an "Export this view" button at the bottom with these options:
- Export as CSV
- Export as CSV (Excell)
- Export as XML

I guess this allows me to export my Private messages. Ok so i export a file. And i open it (in Google-Docs, but i imagine it's the same in any other spreadsheet software)
How do i use this? I mean i tried the 2 CSV ones and they each gave me a spreadsheet where the formatting was all screwed up. Sometimes the topic field is the first field, sometimes not. i don't know howto use this. help?

try it yourself.

TL;DR: How do i attain a backup of my PMs that is usable to me as a person

to store my messages i ended up just making a bunch of numbered archive folders within the messaging system and dumping old messages in there, until it fills up, then make a new one, repeat repeat repeat.

pretty dumb coz in the end i'm just using infinite data storage anyway.
so what was the point of limiting the inbox size in the first place.

I'm not really sure of that myself (I left it at default), but it gives me an excuse to clean out my inbox once a year or so.